The Golden Age of hockey was a long time coming, with some sources putting it as far back as 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans quit the NHL and left the "Original Six" to wrestle over titles for almost the whole '50s and '60s era. That time produced some great hockey, and some great hockey players came out of it. Here are two of the most iconic.

Gordie Howe

Hockey is an aggressive contact sport, and it takes a special kind of man to thrive on the ice. Gordie Howe was that kind of man, with a smart, fast, aggressive presence. Howe was a hockey fan's hockey player, who knew how to jink and to move like a dancer, but who was almost indecently eager to body-check an unwary opponent into the boards or hook a skate when the ref wasn't looking. It's no wonder that, of all the great players of his era, Gordie Howe was the one they called "Mr. Hockey."

Bobby Hull

The 1960s was the era of great shot-takers, and Bobby Hull was arguably the best of the lot. Scoring an amazing 440 career goals, he beats out second-place great Frank Mahovlich by a full 111 points scored. Hull was able to maintain a career average of 1.1 goals per game, which practically guaranteed the Blackhawks would place respectably on the board, even if they didn't go on to win the game. Hockey fans noticed him every time he was on the ice, and the league noticed him too, since Hull finished his career with two Hart Trophies, two Art Ross Trophies, and one Stanley Cup ring.